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A certain plot scenario has been used in the RPG genre so often that it has passed beyond clichè and simply exists as a staple. Skies of Arcadia features the evil Valuan empire, Final Fantasy VI's cast is dogged by Gestahl's empire, Treasure Hunter G has an evil Emperor and his attendant empire, Secret of Mana's evil Emperor is memorable only for his being generic, Yggdra Union's Emperor Gulcasa is a long way from generic but nevertheless is the ruler of an empire, Vandal Hearts spotlights a struggle against the Holy Ashah Empire... the list of examples could go on. Any veteran of RPGs has seen this scenario played out multiple times. Exceptions to prove the rule of 'Empires are evil' do exist (Der Langrisser and Shining Force III immediately spring to mind). These exceptions are relatively rare compared to the enormous bloc of evil Empire plotlines, however.
The very idea of empires being evil in so many JRPGs is an odd one, considering that Japan is an empire. Do Japanese developers intentionally impugn their nation's sovereign, and vicariously themselves, via so many stories making empires into lands full of warmongering evildoers? I probably am reading too much into this, but it still seems very odd for a nation headed by an Emperor to constantly come up with stories casting aspersion upon that job type, especially after World War II when such an effort to absolve Hirohito of any responsibility was made.
Using any form of democracy as the basis for an oppressive force to fight against in an RPG is harder, but not impossible. Germany may not have been a democracy for long after the Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag and Hitler became Chancellor, but voters did give his policies free license. The United States in 1942 interned its citizens who happened to be of Japanese descent with the assent of Franklin D Roosevelt and the Supreme Court, though forty years later the survivors were deemed worthy of compensation. Modern-day India is an enormous contradiction, with scores of its parliament being either accused or convicted kidnappers, rapists and murderers. Viewers of Slumdog Millionaire may be interested to know that Lal Krishna Advani, who made inflammatory speeches against Muslims that helped prompt the riots seen early in the film, is the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party which has a hardline pro-Hindu and anti-Muslim view.
The above examples are meant to provide evidence that democratic structures do not guarantee amicable relations between the people, which is not a very insightful observation to anyone who lives in one. Based on the evidence at hand, however, it would seem to be a revelation to the many game developers who do not recognize the viability of transforming a different sort of government into the villain. Doing so would be incredibly easy: have the protagonist be a member of a persecuted minority out to attain recognition from the bigots surrounding him/her. What I have just suggested is not the only manner in which some form of democracy could be made into the government in the wrong, and there are plentiful other options at hand. It would just be so nice, for once, to have an evil President or evil Prime Minister at the head of a Republic that gave the despot power.
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